3D pictures with no êspecial êhardware? êImpossible? SIRDS (Single äImage Random Dot Stereograms) for êwindows êcreates what looks like an äarray of random dots, êthat êwhen êlooked êat êcorrectly êreveals a 3-ädimensional picture.
Posters of SIRDS have êfound êthere êway êinto êart êshops such as äAthena recently. People pay extortionate amounts of money for these 3D äpictures which are created by a very simple process.
If you have not seen any examples êof SIRDS before, I will explain ähow to view them. Firstly though, I'll explain how to use the program:
System Requirements:
Any PC that can run Windows version 3.0 or higher.
A colour graphics card and monitor is recommended to view the
bitmaps you are going to render.
Installation:
If you are using Windows 3.0, copy the file COMMDLG.DLL into
your Windows directory.
Double click on SIRDS.EXE from File Manager
or
Make a new program group using FILE|NEW and drag SIRDS.EXE
from File Manager into the program group. Double click
on the icon to start the program.
For an example, select FILE|OPEN and êdouble click on TEST.BMP. To ägenerate the SIRDS, click on SIRDS|GENERATE and wait.
Viewing SIRDS
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Once you get used to it, êviewing SIRDS comes fairly naturally. If äyou cannot see them at first, êkeep êpercevering, êit will come in the äend and believe me it is worth êit. êIt takes some people five minutes äto see their first SIRDS and êit êtakes êother people hours just don't ägive up!
Right. First generate the above êexample, TEST.BMP. Note carefully äthe picture of the face êwhen êit êloads. êThis êis êthe image you are ätrying to see. The darker êcolours êare êdeeper into the picture while äthe lighter colours, such as the eyes, are further out of the picture.
Sit a little way from the monitor, êbut ênot too far: about 2 feet äis perfect. Stare at the êdots. êLet êyour êeyes êdefocus (try to look ä'through' the monitor. Just keep changing focus and relaxing your eyes äand the image should just êappear. êRemember, êdon't give up. You will äget it in the end!
Using SIRDS for Windows
-----------------------
To use the program you have to first create a Windows Bitmap (BMP) äor DIB file. The rules for êcreating êa êbitmap êfor use with SIRDS is äfairly simple. The program êvaries êthe êdepth êof êthe image with the äamount of blue in the êbitmap ê(it êwas êthe êeasiest êway to do it!). äForget Windows Paintbrush êunless êyou êexperiment êwith êthe standard äpalette because it uses êWindows êmethod êof êdithering êto obtain its äcolours. Dithering does not work when generating SIRDS. The best way I äfind is to use êa êDOS êpackage êsuch êas êNeopaint, êuse a grey-shade äpalette. The darker colours are in the background.
When you have a bitmap, load êit êinto êSIRDS for Windows by using äthe FILE|OPEN dialog êbox. êThe êbitmap êshould êbe êdisplayed êon the äscreen. To generate the SIRDS, click on SIRDS|GENERATE. Once generated äyou can print or save the êSIRDS êusing êthe êmenu options in the FILE ämenu.
If you do use Paintbrush, êyou êcan êdraw the image in Paintbrush, ämark it as a block and êthen êselect EDIT|COPY. To generate the SIRDS, äclick on the êSIRDS êfor êWindows êFILE êmenu êand êselect êPaste form äClipboard. You then select SIRDS|GENERATE.
You can also set various options concerning the SIRDS generation.
Pixels per Point:
Specifies the amount of pixels allocated to each individual point. äIf you have a very high resolution êdisplay you may want to raise this ävalue.
Colour Levels:
Specifies the amount êof êdifferent êdepth êlevels êthe êimage can ädisplay. êLevels êbelow êabout ê8 êare ênot êrecommended êbecause êthe ädifference between depth levels is so êgreat êit is difficult to focus äon the SIRDS. The best way to create êa SIRDS with only two levels (or äa small amount of levels) êis êto êuse ê16 êor ê32 levels and draw the äbitmap image with black êas êthe êbackground êand êa êdark grey as the äforeground. This keeps the levels êclose êtogether making it easier to äview. if you don't understand what I mean then try it!
Random Bar Width:
Changes the focus point of the êimage. êThe higher the number, the äfurther you have to defocus your êeyes êtherefore êthe harder it is to äsee the image. The advantage of using êhigher numbers is that it makes äthe depth levels closer together making the image look smoother.
Tips on generating SIRDS
------------------------
If you fancy writing a message in êSIRDS, êit is best to use fonts äwhich are not too curvy. The line width êhas to be quite thick as well äbecause you tend to get êinterferencr êbetween the letters making them äunreadable. An example text bitmap TEXT.BMP is supplied as an example.
As mentioned before, Windows êPaintbrush êis not entirely suitable äfor generating SIRDS due to the fact that it dithers colours. However, äthe standard Paintbrush palette êcontains mainly non-dithered colours. äYou can experiment with these to êsee êwhat depth levels they produce. äYou will usually êuse êblack êas êthe êbackground êbecause êit has the ägreatest depth.
I hope you have êfun êwith êthis êprogram. êIt êis a public domain äprogram so you can copy, lend, êburn, êmutilate êor eat it any way you äwamt to, just please, please keep all of the files together.
